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New research from Ricoh UK reveals faster speeds and higher quality are the most rated benefits for businesses, with CRM bottom of the list

Tuesday, 13 October, 2015

Findings from a comprehensive report on the state of the printing industry unveils a new approach for innovation and change

London, UK, 13th October 2015 - In the run up to The Print Show (PSTV) Birmingham, 13-15th 2015, a new extensive report has revealed the attitude of commercial print companies in the UK towards innovation, new technology and how these affects their businesses and the industry as a whole.

The research, commissioned by Ricoh UK and carried out between April and June 2015, quizzed directors, owners and management level participants from leading print companies across the UK.

As print fights for its place within a multimedia world, it is more important than ever that print companies are armed with the tools and technologies to be able to compete. The majority of print companies feel that the right technology is there to help them, but the support is not.

More specifically, 60 per cent of the respondents feel that innovation is good for the printing industry and we need it to help us move forward. However nearly one in four (23 per cent) find that a lot of the innovation that surrounds technology is all part of a ‘hype.’

Printing firms also felt that faster speeds (26 per cent), higher quality (24 per cent), more modularity (17 per cent) and Management Information Systems (MIS) (12 per cent) will be important innovations for the industry - with CRM systems only securing 4 per cent of support.

Many companies also found manufacturers are seemingly placing too much emphasis on trying to be “clever” rather than simply focusing on developing and evolving what already is on offer. In fact, over one in 10 respondents (12 per cent) believe suppliers bring new products to market that are not fit to purpose.

The research also found that manufacturers would highly benefit from carrying out further market analysis - including investing more in research and development – to ensure benefits always reach the actual machines themselves.

Phil Keoghan, CEO of Ricoh UK & Ireland, said: “It is clear that print companies universally see the need for change – from engaging with new markets to investing in recruiting and developing different skill-sets to improve their expertise.

“However, the findings from this report indicate that users are seemingly looking for manufacturers to evolve their current services, rather than completely revolutionise them – providing benefits such as faster set-up times, increased quality and improved all-round reliability.”

|About Ricoh|

Ricoh is empowering digital workplaces using innovative technologies and services enabling individuals to work smarter. For more than 80 years, Ricoh has been driving innovation and is a leading provider of document management solutions, IT services, commercial and industrial printing, digital cameras, and industrial systems. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in approximately 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ended March 2017, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,028 billion yen (approx. 18.2 billion USD).